by Devyn Dawson
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scream. Since Andy died, I’m a little nervous in a car. For the most part, I can hide my fears. Idiot drivers scare the crap out of me though. In answer to your question, I’m off next Saturday and would be honored to sing.”
“Awesome, I’ll text him when we get to the Omniplex. Don’t worry about screaming, my friend Carrie is the worst about freaking out in a car. After a while, I got used to her screaming and it doesn’t faze me anymore. She’s talking about coming down in August. I hope she does. You’ll like her. She’s very much like you, wiser than her years. She’s a cowgirl through and through. She’s hoping to hit some of the western bars. Vince Gill is one of her all-time favorite singers, so is Garth Brooks. Rumor has it that when they’re in Oklahoma City, they will show up at the bars. It’s unlikely, but who knows, maybe they will.”
Carrie, the best friend. Why it makes my insides twinge in jealousy is beyond me. “That’s awesome, I’ll stomach a few country bars for your friend. Where are you going? The Omniplex is on the other highway. You don’t have to take back roads because of the semi, I’m fine.” He’s pulled off the highway to an unfamiliar area of town.
“I want to show you something before we go to the museum.” He drives through an area where all new buildings and houses are being built. We pull down a residential street and pull up to a house that says, Model Houses Open Sunday Noon – 4:00. He parks the truck and we go inside. A woman in her late forties is sitting behind a glass desk, she raises her head from her laptop as we walk inside. She tucks her auburn hair behind her ears as she stands up to greet us.
“Hi, I’m Pam, welcome to Shaley Green Homes. Have you ever been in a Shaley Green Home?” Pam stands up and walks over to us. She’s an attractive woman, but not overdone. Her skirt and blouse are high quality, I can tell by the way she carries herself that she like nice things. The shoes are her giveaway though, they’re a pair of FiFi Christian LouBoutin’s black pumps. No one wears a pair of seven hundred shoes on a Sunday.
“Hi Pam, I’ve not visited the homes, however, I met the builder recently and he told me about this project. They’re all custom Eco friendly houses, correct?”
“Oh lovely, you met Matt Shaley, he’s a doll. Yes, our homes are all energy efficient and built with as many environmentally friendly products out there. We’re an OG&E energy friendly home, you know. We’re rated number six in the United States for the best styles and most efficient homes. Have you looked at any of our floor plans online?” Pam picks up a clipboard and a pair of reading glasses.
“I’ve looked at the floor plans and I’d like to see the four bedroom home with the chef’s kitchen. I think it’s called The Executive,” Tate says. He’s using his professional voice, not his sexy sleep-with-me one. Pam hands him the clipboard and asks him to sign in. Within seconds, she’s handing us some brochures filled with information and the floor plans of the houses.
“I have an Executive that was finished last week. It isn’t for sale, but I can take you in and show you how great it is. If I can get your driver’s license?” Pam asks. Tate takes out his military ID and hands it to her. As she makes a copy of it, I get a chance to ask him what he’s doing.
“Are you buying a house?” I whisper. I’m not sure if he’s pretending to be interested or if he really is interested.
He shrugs his shoulders. “I’m not sure. This place sounds great though, and I’m tired of not having a place to go and play music with you.” He runs his hand through his hair, that simple act gives me goose bumps.
My heart is unaware of what the meaning of going slow means. I glance up at him, we make eye contact and for a split second I think I love him. No way! Not going there. I’m sure he thinks I’ve had a stroke or something.
“Why do you look so scared?” Tate whispers.
Because I’m freaking out. I just thought the L word and about fell over. I don’t fall in love, and I sure as hell don’t fall in love after two months. Two perfect months of fun and adventure. “No, I just don’t want you to get any ideas that I’m moving in or anything like that.” What is wrong with me?
“Holl, we’re going slow. Don’t worry and please don’t get scared and run away.” His face is filled with angst. “You’re cute when you’re freaked out.”
I force a smile, so he won’t think I’m freaking out. I am freaking out. Not about moving in with him. There’s no way I’d leave my dad, not until he’s a functioning adult.
The way his gaze is piercing through me in an attempt to read my thoughts, brings out the girly-girl in me. One day, when he looks at me like that, I’m going to have a literal panty dropping moment.
Pam comes back into the room and asks us to follow her. We go outside and get on a shiny red golf cart that looks like an old time car. She drives on the road but tells us the sidewalks are wide enough for a traditional golf cart. As we ride over to the house, she tells us some of the features of the neighborhood. The sidewalks and driveways are heated. Since it’s over ninety-five degrees, it seems silly to have heated sidewalks. She tells us it makes ice and snow cleanup easier. Each house has a brick mailbox with solar lights that change colors. We pull up to a dark red brick ranch house. The front yard is dirt but landscaping is the final part of every project.
The house is stunning, I wasn’t expecting it to be so pretty. It’s bright from all the windows on every wall. Pam said the tint on the windows is to help with the cost of climate control. From outside, the neighbors can’t see inside the house. It’s a new trend, since window coverings are expensive. As an option, we can have retractable blinds installed. Everything in the house is run by a high tech panel. It controls everything from the solar panels on the house, to the power run to the outlets. If the owner isn’t home, they can run the lights and sprinkler system from an app on their phone. Out in the backyard the owner can have features like a compost, and they will till up the yard for a garden area. A greenhouse with panels for climate control can also be put in. I bet that’s why Tate wants to be here. He’s from a farm where they grow their own food and live off the land. He can have some country living while living in the city.
He’s walking around and day dreaming about what kind of furniture he would put in each room. This is a side of him I’ve never met. When we get to the kitchen, he talks about all the meals he would make for me. He asked Pam if a traditional brick pizza oven can be added, she said it could. Two of the bedrooms are small, he said he’d use one of them as an office. I don’t know what he needs one for, but I just follow and listen to him dream. He talked to her about one of the rooms being customized to be made into a music room. I didn’t know you could really make a room soundproof and have the perfect acoustics put in for the perfect sound return. Pam excuses herself to go take a call.
Tate and I walk into the master bedroom and for a moment I’m giddy. He asks me about the type of bedroom furniture I could see in the room. I get lost in the fantasy with him as we talk about decorating the room. The master bathroom has a large bathtub with jets. He comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. Oh goodness. I lean back into him and he bends down to whisper in my ear.
“One day, I’ll have you naked in a tub like this. I’ll worship every single inch of your body with every inch of mine.” I turn around in his arms and look up at him. Without thinking, I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him down to me. My hand goes to the back of his head. We kiss so passionately that I’m sure I’ve broken a sweat. His hands are in my hair and a groan come from deep in his chest. I’m not thinking about anything other than the thought of him worshiping every inch of me. A cough from the bedroom startles us. “Holl, you’ve stolen my ability to be a gentleman.”
“Don’t worry, I like this rogue-gentleman side of you.”
He bends down and kisses the tip of my nose before turning around and walking into the bedroom. “I don’t need to see any more. I’d like to purchase the house.”
Pam breaks out into a smile. She’s p
robably thinking about the shoes she’ll buy when she gets her cut of the sale. “That’s perfect, we’ll just go back to the office and get you set up for financing.”
“That isn’t necessary, I’ll pay cash,” Tate admits.
“Oh, okay. You realize for this house it is two-hundred-twenty-two thousand dollars.”
“Of course. The one I’ll buy will be more since I’ll have a larger lot to put a pool in the backyard.” He reaches for my hand and laces our fingers together.
“Yes sir, well I guess we’ll go pick out your lot.”
We drive around the neighborhood and find the lot Tate wants to call home.
***
Tate drives me back to my car after the picnic on base. It was interesting to meet the other guys that Tate works with. Most everyone said they never see him and were surprised by his singing career. I had a total misconception about hanging around military people. I expected everyone to be serious and angry. From what I see, everyone is having a good time. Tate had warned me that sometimes the officers will snub the enlisted in the other units. He said that since he works with the pilots, they’re cool to the air traffic controllers. For someone who doesn’t hang around a lot of military guys, everyone likes him.
I did notice a couple of girls flirting with him when he was singing. They didn’t bother me anymore. Who doesn’t flirt with a guy who can sing like Tate? His roommate never showed up. I figured since there was a keg, he would be there. Tate said he was having girl troubles. Last night she came banging on their door. Instead of caring that he was trying to sleep, they bickered until Tate told him to take it outside.
“Do you hate the military now?” Tate asks.
“No, actually, I was thinking about how cool everyone was. All I know of the military is what’s on the news and the movies. You guys act more like family than co-workers. In the news it’s always about the bad things that happen. It was fun. Thank you for letting me go with you.”
“You’re welcome. You’re right, the news never tells you about the guys behind the job. We are family. We’re all here alone. Some of the guys get married young and start their own families to fill the void of being away from home. Yeah, we have some guys who party non-stop but they were partying before they got in the military. It isn’t glamorous, but it isn’t always hell.”
We pull up to Waffle Shack where I left my car earlier today. “I wish I could hang out more, but I have to go to the store. I’ll see you Tuesday. We can Skype though.”
“Okay beautiful, don’t forget to text me and let me know you made it to work okay.” He pulls me to him. The familiar scent of his cologne mixed with the outdoors makes me wish I could call in sick and stay with him. He kisses my forehead and tilts my chin up so he can kiss my lips.
My mouth obeys his tongue as it sweeps across mine. The smooth silkiness and the lingering taste of his cinnamon gum brings my heart to life. With every pounding in my chest, I melt a little more. I’ve fallen captive to his touch.
I’m reluctant to pull away, but I do. “Bye, see you online!” I say and give him another quick kiss.
“Holland?”
“Yes,” I reply.
“You’ll let me know when I don’t have to go slow anymore, won’t you?” We make eye contact and I wait a second before answering him.
“You’ll be the first to know,” I say and blow him a kiss as I climb into my car. That just happened. I say to myself.
***
Chapter Fifteen. Evening Drive
“Dad, I’m going to work. I’ll be home to make you dinner, I get off at four-thirty,” I say as I lean in to kiss his head.
“It’s that boy isn’t it?”
There’s the ugly head of living with a man who’s bi-polar. No medicine can take away his fixation with me dating Tate. “He’s a man, not a boy,” I snarl at him.
“I knew you’d get mixed up with some military guy and leave me,” he whines.
“I told you, I’m going to work. I realize I don’t usually work on Tuesdays, but everyone is off having a family vacation. One of those things that families do together.” I hold my palm to my forehead in aggravation. I hate lying to him, but he can’t handle it when I say I’m going on a date. “I’m not going anywhere, come on Dad, don’t do this right now. I’ll be home for dinner and maybe we’ll go out for some ice cream when I get home.” Trying to reason with him when he’s in one of his moods is harder than shoving your mouth full of Warheads candy.
“Promise me not to fall in love with him.” His face is filled with despair as he looks up at me from his place on the couch.
I’m not promising anything to him right now. “Daddy, I’ll see you later.” I didn’t wait for him to respond before walking out the front door. His dramatic reaction is another reason, Tate, won’t be invited over to the house.
As I start the Charger the roar of the motor reminds me of the power beneath the hood at my fingertips. I click the stereo on and one of my favorite songs is playing, “Goodbye Gone” by Lucy Hale. I’m not into her show, but I love her singing. I haven’t seen Tate since the Omniplex so I’m excited to have a date with him in the flesh. We’re going to lunch in Bricktown, then we’re going on a gondola ride to the movie theater. He convinced me to see Flesh Back, a Zombie thriller.
It’s hard to believe we’ve been together for two months. Andy would have found it funny that I celebrate something so girly. It was Tate who started it when he showed up at work with thirty red roses for every day we’ve been together on our first month anniversary. He counts the night at the bookstore as our first date. I told him it doesn’t count, but he said in his book it does.
***
For the first time in over a year, when I walked through the door the house smells like food. My dad is in the kitchen and the table is set with two plates and take-out from our favorite Mexican place. They recently started a delivery service so he must have had it delivered.
“There’s my beautiful little princess. How was work?” He hands me the two glasses he just filled with ice. “Will you pour us a Coke?”
He hasn’t been this happy in a long time. It’s almost like walking into someone else’s home with someone else’s father in the kitchen. “Yeah, sure.” I walk over to the table and slowly pour the soda in the glasses, making sure not to have them overflow. “It was busy.” I couldn’t tell him about the movie I saw. One he would have liked. It was so gross I had to cover my eyes a couple of times.
“Back in the day, people would flock to the mall because they had air conditioning.”
“You never told me about lunch the other day, how was it?” We both sit down at the small pub-table set for two. We pour the tortilla chips into a bowl and open the container of fresh made salsa. For a moment, everything is normal. It has been years since we’ve carried on a conversation that wasn’t filled with woe is me and drama. This is how real families talk to each other. Me not having to dole out medicine for his crazy, at least I don’t have to until after dinner.
He fills his plate with Spanish rice and builds his fajita with the peppers and meat. “I did very well. We had Mexican food and it was easier than I thought it would be. Tell me about this boy you’re seeing.”
Warning, here goes the normal and here comes the crazy. “Are you sure you want to hear about him?” In my head I picture him flinging our food off the table and start screaming at me about leaving him. Instead, he smiles at me like a regular dad.
“I do, he’s the one you’re spending your extra time with, I want to know more about him.” He takes a bite of his fajita without throwing a fit about Tate.
“The boy is Tate. Yes, he’s in the Air Force and he’s going to college for aviation. He’s an air traffic controller at Tinker Air Force Base. I know you’re always talking about a guy stealing me away from you, but Tate isn’t going anywhere for a while. Right now, the program he’s in will keep him here for a couple of years. He’s from a small town in Oregon where he lived with his mom and his dad’
s parents on their farm. It sounds so beautiful when he talks about home. I’ve seen a few pictures but he says they don’t do the farm justice. They have over three-thousand acres of farmland and woods. Tate’s really close with his grandma, but he and his mom tend to argue. She wants him to serve his time and go back to the farm. He plans on making a career of being in the military.”
“Career huh? Sounds like he has it all figured out. How old is he?”
“He just turned twenty-two.” I smile at the memory of his twenty-second birthday. “Technology is growing so fast so he plans on being a drone operator. He’s been in the military for the last two years.”
“You’re pretty smitten with him.”
“No one uses the word smitten, Dad. If you mean I’m into him, you’re right. He’s different than other guys. Most guys his age want to party and act crazy. Tate is focused on his future and his music. I’ve never known anyone so talented in my life. Granted, my life hasn’t been that long, but he’s amazing. We’ve been working on songs to sing, that’s why we see each other as much as we can.” And because we love to make-out for hours. “Singing is the one thing he wants to do more than anything. We’re singing covers now, but he’s been working on a couple of songs.” I pause for a moment and take a bite from my burrito.
“You said you sing in clubs? I thought you have to be twenty-one to go to clubs,” Dad says.
“Things are different now. You can go to the clubs if you’re eighteen and over, you can drink if you’re twenty-one. If you’re thinking he’s drinking, he isn’t. The most he’s ever had was two beers, I swear,” I hold up my hand as though I’m in court.
“Well, he sounds perfect. Are we still going out for ice cream?” He takes his napkin from his lap and wipes his mouth. “Dinner was delicious, we’ll have to do it again.”
